Round 18 started with an upset on Friday night, when Essendon defeated St Kilda for the second time this season with a 33-point win at Docklands.The highly-fancied Saints were stunned in the first quarter, as the Bombers got the early jump to blow the pundits’ predictions out of the water. First to every contest, showing pace, skill and resolve, the Bombers assumed complete control. The Bombers had winners all round the ground, none more so than the unstoppable Brent Stanton, with a glut of possession to set up forward thrust after forward thrust. The Bombers kicked the first six goals of the game within 20 minutes, on their way to a 36-point quarter time lead.The Essendon players were spirited, backing themselves in every contest; while the hestitant Saints were left to chase the game in stunned disbelief. Saints’ coach Ross Lyon gave his charges a grilling at the quarter time break, and the Saints were able to at least stop the margin from blowing out any further. The second quarter was low-scoring, as the Saints were forced on the defensive and the Bombers were happy to maintain their advantage; both sides moving numbers onto their backlines. But the long break saw the Bombers lead by 37 points.For the Saints to have any hope of getting back into the contest, they needed to make their move during the premiership quarter. But instead it was the Bombers who stepped up with the first three goals of the quarter to blow the margin out to 58 points.The Saints finally clicked into gear in time-on, with two late goals in the third term; and continued their flurry of activity early in the last quarter with three unanswered goals in the first 10 minutes to reduce the margin to 27 points. But that was as close as the Saints could go, as their bogey side steadied to record a sensational win. For all Essendon’s woes this season, they have claimed the scalp of the Saints twice, proving that on their day they are capable with matching it with the best side. It was the third loss in a row for the Saints at the hands of Essendon, during a period of 43 games in which they have lost just seven matches.Essendon 7.2 9.5 12.10 16.12 (108)St Kilda 1.2 3.4 5.6 11.9 (75)Goals : Essendon – A Monfries 4, B Houli 2, P Ryder 2, K Hardingham 2, D Hille 2, J Neagle 2, M McVeigh, J Watson. St Kilda – N Riewoldt 2, A Schneider 2, J Gram 2, L Montagna, B Goddard, J Koschitzke, F Ray, B Peake.Best : Essendon – B Stanton, J Watson, M Hurley, H Hocking, B Howlett, B Houli. St Kilda – J Gram, B Goddard, L Montagna, L Hayes, F Ray, N Dal Santo.Injuries : Essendon – A Davey (ankle). St Kilda – C Jones (ankle) replaced in selected side by J Geary.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Donlon, Chamberlain, Mollison.Crowd - 37,165 at Docklands.

Traditional rivals Collingwood and Carlton faced off in front of a blockbuster crowd at the MCG on Saturday afternoon. And it was the ladder-leading Magpies who continued their impressive form, winning their sixth game on the trot with a 48-point victory.Carlton fans’ hopes were raised as the Blues scored two goals in the first five minutes. Collingwood struggled for accuracy early, with four behinds before their first goal. But the Magpies found their rhythm later in the quarter to hit the front and lead by 11 points at quarter time. The second term was devastating. The Magpie midfield assumed complete control, making the Blues look second rate in a one-sided show of demolition. The Magpies ran in six unanswered goals, holding the Blues to just one point for the quarter, to blow the half-time lead out to 50 points.

The game was already under control, but the Magpies suffered a blow in the third term as Sharrod Wellingham departed the scene with a leg injury and didn’t return. It was lower scoring, the sting having seemingly gone out of the contest as just three goals in total were scored for the quarter, the Magpies leading by 10 goals at the last change.The Blues salvaged something out of the game by at least winning the last quarter, but there were few positives out of the afternoon for the Blues. To make matters worse, Chris Judd left the action with a shoulder injury; and the Blues will be desperately hoping he will be fit for next week’s action. The Blues will remain in the top 8, but will need to show plenty more than they showed in this match if they are to be competitive when the business end of the competition comes around.But for Collingwood, it was another impressive afternoon. Midfielders Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan again showed the way forward, while Alan Didak looked dangerous every time the Magpies moved forward. The result keeps the Magpies top of the ladder, ahead of next week’s massive clash against defending champions Geelong.Collingwood 3.5 9.9 11.14 15.15 (105)Carlton 2.0 2.1 3.2 9.3 (57)Goals : Collingwood – D Beams 3, L Davis 3, C Dawes 2, T Cloke 2, A Didak 2, D Swan, S Wellingham, S Pendlebury. Carlton – S Hampson 2, A Walker 2, S Grigg, B Fisher, E Betts, K Simpson, C Johnson.Best : Collingwood – S Pendlebury, D Beams, L Ball, A Didak, D Swan, T Cloke. Carlton - K Simpson, S Grigg, C Johnson, R Warnock, J Russell, B Gibbs.Injuries : Collingwood – S Wellingham (knee). Carlton – J Armfield (concussion) replaced in selected side by D Ellard, C Judd (chest/shoulder).Reports – Nil. Umpires - Stevic, Meredith, Pannell.Crowd - 76,980 at the MCG.Port Adelaide may have well and truly blown their chance to be finals contenders with their long losing streak, but the Power may have had an influence in shaping the finals when they pulled off an 8-point victory at AAMI Stadium on Saturday afternoon, a result that all but ends the Hawks’ hopes of a top-4 finish.The game was an arm-wrestle, a game of ever-changing fortunes in which the lead changed hands at least twice in every quarter except the third. The Power kicked the first two goals of the game before the Hawks fought back to lead by 5 points at quarter time. It was a 6-point lead to the Hawks at half time, and with the Hawks scoring the first two goals for the third term to go to an 18-point lead. But they could extend their lead no further.But the Power fought back, Jay Schulz marked and goaled and the margin was reduced to 5 points. But with just seconds to go before three-quarter time, Grant Birchall goaled to give the Hawks an 11-point buffer. And as the siren sounded for the last change, tempers flared and a mellee broke out, with most of the players from both teams getting involved. No reports were made, but the incident is likely to be reviewed on video during the week.The Power found their run in the last quarter. Despite Nick Salter and Danyle Pearce being forced out of the game through injury, leaving the Power with just two players on the bench, it was Port who looked fresher and ran out the game looking stronger. With four goals to one in the final quarter, the Power turned their deficit into an 8-point win; a confidence-boosting result for the Power, but a shock for the Hawks who find themselves 10 points out of the top 4.Port Adelaide 3.3 7.6 9.9 13.14 (92)Hawthorn 4.2 8.6 11.8 12.12 (84)Goals : Port Adelaide – J Schulz 4, D Pearce 2, D Stewart 2, C Hitchcock, D Cassisi, D Rodan, J Westhoff, B Ebert. Hawthorn – L Franklin 3, B Renouf 2, M Osborne, C Rioli, X Ellis, S Mitchell, C Young, G Birchall, J Roughead.Best : Port Adelaide – J Schulz, J Westhoff, D Cassisi, D Brogan, D Pearce, C Hitchcock. Hawthorn – B Sewell, B Renouf, X Ellis, C Rioli, S Burgoyne, S Mitchell.Injuries : Port Adelaide – N Salter (calf), D Pearce (bruised jaw). Hawthorn – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - S Stewart, S Ryan, C Bowen.Crowd - 22,340 at AAMI Stadium.

Defending champions Geelong turned on a display of premiership-standard football to prove themselves 53 points too good for Sydney at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.The Swans were competitive during the first half, their play showing more intensity and drive than they showed against Melbourne last week. But poor finishing let them down badly; and despite having had 16 scoring shots to 11 in the first half the Swans found themselves 25 points in arrears. The Cats made the most of their opportunities while the Swans did not; and when the Swans found themselves more than four goals down despite their hard work in the first half, their outlook looked bleak.And the third term put the issue beyond doubt, as the Cats turned on their best form. A run of eight goals to one for the quarter turned the game into a blowout, with the Cats extending their lead to 65 points at the last change; and despite the Swans winning the last quarter, the damage was done and the Cats had completed an easy win.Steven Johnson was easily best on ground, finishing with 6 goals and 29 possessions; while Gary Ablett with 3 goals among his 29 touches was also a key contributor to the Geelong cause. Adam Goodes was Sydney’s best, but the Swans found themselves outclassed by a Geelong side that appears likely to play in their fourth straight grand final this season. The Cats were magnificent, but it was a disappointing game for the Swans; their top 4 hopes now all but extinguished.Also disappointing was the crowd, with only 30,710 fans on hand at ANZ Stadium. In 2007, all three games at the venue attracted crowds of over 60,000. Only one of the games at the venue this year has pulled a crowd over 31,500; and on that occasion Collingwood fans outnumbered the locals. While attendances for the Swans’ games at the SCG have held up, the collapse in attendances at the Olympic Stadium would be of major concern to the Swans and the AFL.Geelong 5.1 10.1 18.3 20.5 (125)Sydney 3.7 4.12 5.16 9.18 (72)Goals : Geelong – S Johnson 6, G Ablett 3, C Mooney 3, B Ottens, T Varcoe, J Hunt, J Kelly, S Byrnes, T West, C Ling, A Mackie. Sydney – A Goodes 3, J Bolton 2, K Jack, J Kennedy, J White, B Kirk.Best : Geelong – S Johnson, D Milburn, G Ablett, J Kelly, J Selwood, C Mooney. Sydney – A Goodes, K Jack, J Bolton, S Mumford, T Kennelly, B McGlynn.Injuries : Geelong – Nil. Sydney – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Vozzo, Kennedy, Findlay.Crowd - 30,710 at ANZ Stadium.

Brisbane’s season of woe had another chapter of misery added to it on Saturday night, when Melbourne defeated the Lions by 10 points at the Gabba.The first quarter was evenly contested, with the Demons scoring two late goals to lead by 13 points at the first change. But it was a different story in the second quarter, as the Demon machine clicked into gear and the Lions were powerless to stop them. The improvement in Melbourne this season has been one of the major talking points, and although appearing in finals action is probably beyond them, their season has been a vast improvement on recent wooden spoon seasons. But for the Lions, on a long losing streak, it was another quarter in which the Brisbane side appeared to be going through the motions and they struggled to remain competitive as the Demons cruised to a 30-point lead at half time.Five goals behind, and with two on the bench after Clarke and Fevola were injured, the situation looked bleak for the Lions. But they somehow managed to find some resolve that was so badly missing during the second term, lifting their game around the ground and working hard to get back into the contest. Kicking the last three goals for the quarter, the Lions cut the margin to 20 points at the last change; and as the clock ticked into time-on, the margin was back to 5 points and the Lions had a chance to steal the game. But that was as close as they could get, the Demons steadying with a late goal to wrap up a win. The second half had been a more nervous event than the Demons would have been anticipating; but the pressure of playing catch-up football ultimately proved to be too much for the Lions to overcome.Melbourne 4.3 9.5 10.8 11.8 (74)Brisbane 2.2 4.5 7.6 9.10 (64)Goals : Melbourne – L Dunn 3, C Sylvia 2, B Green 2, C Morton, A Wonaeamirri, R Bail, P Johnson. Brisbane – A Proud 3, J Brown 2, R Harwood, M Rischitelli, J Brennan, T Banfield.Best : Melbourne – C Sylvia, M Jamar, T Scully, C Bruce, J McKenzie, J Rivers. Brisbane – M Clark, T Rockliff, M Rischitelli, J Sherman, S Black, B Staker.Injuries : Melbourne – Nil. Brisbane – X Clarke (hamstring), B Fevola (groin).Reports – Nil. Umpires - McLaren, Grun, Hay.Crowd - 26,144 at the Gabba.

Richmond have had a season to forget, but the Tigers at least found something to cheer about with a 20-point win over Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.After an even first quarter, the Crows began to get the better of the play in the second term. But poor finishing would hurt their cause, as the Crows finished with a return of 4.9 for the quarter; and although they led by 19 points, it was a margin that should have been considerably greater. Conditions were wet and there was a blustery breeze, but even so the Crows should have made more use of their chances during their wasteful second quarter.And the Crows would regret their wasteful finishing in the third quarter, as the Tigers sprung into action. Six goals to two for the quarter turned their deficit into a 6-point lead at the final change; and with the small but vocal crowd behind them, the Tigers were high on confidence as they went further ahead in the final term to take the game.Shane Tuck was sensational for the Tigers, stepping up in the second half when the game was there to be won and accumulating 33 possessions for the match. Ben Cousins with 27 possessions played what was close to his best game since crossing to the Tigers. The result was Richmond’s sixth win for the season. Interestingly, they have recorded one win against each of the non-Victorian teams, but are yet to record a win against a Victorian side in 2010.Richmond 4.4 5.4 11.7 15.10 (100)Adelaide 3.2 7.11 9.13 11.14 (80)Goals : Richmond – J King 2, J Riewoldt 2, S Tuck, J Webberley, M White, D Martin, M Morton, A Browne, B Cousins, R Hicks, D Jackson, L McGuane, C Newman. Adelaide – R Douglas 2, R Sloane, P Dangerfield, J Griffin, B Vince, T Walker, B Reilly, J Porplyzia, S Thompson, B Vince.Best : Richmond – S Tuck, C Newman, S Edwards, B Deledio, M Morton, D Connors. Adelaide – S Thompson, B Vince, B Syme, M Doughty, S Stevens, J Porplyzia.Injuries : Richmond - A Collins (corked thigh) replaced in selected side by R Hicks. Adelaide – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - McBurney, Kamolins, Jennings.Crowd - 19,181 at MCG.

The Western Bulldogs have flown under the radar nicely this season, going into the top 4 with a minimum of fuss or fanfare. And the Bulldogs put on another clinical performance with a 71-point victory over North Melbourne at Docklands on Sunday.With Prime Minister Julia Gillard, a passionate Bulldogs supporter, watching on from the grandstand, the Bulldogs wasted little time in getting their demolition job under way. The first four goals set up a strong first quarter, and at the siren the Bulldogs led by 17 points. But the Kangaroos fought back early in the second term, with two quick goals getting the margin back to 5 points before the Bulldogs again clicked into gear with the next 3. The Kangaroos created chances, but the rock-solid Bulldogs defence and some poor finishing in the forward 50 ensured the Kangaroos would score only one more goal for the quarter and the Bulldogs would maintain a 15-point margin at the long break.The longer from there the game went, the more dominant the Bulldogs became. The lead was out to 29 points at the last change, and the last quarter was one of complete dominance as the Bulldogs ran through 9 goals to 2 to blow the margin out completely.Barry Hall again underlined his status as recruit of the year, the former Sydney premiership captain continuing his impressive run up forward with a bag of 7, joining Jack Riewoldt as leading goalkicker for the season. Daniel Giansiracusa with 5 was also a key contributor of scores to deny the Kangaroos any hopes of a comeback. Matthew Boyd was in sensational touch, accumulating a whopping 40 possessions, while Brian Lake with 33 and Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney with 28 were also influential players in the match.It was a chance that went begging for the Kangaroos. With Carlton and Sydney having already lost this round, a win would have seen North draw level on games with the top 8. But instead they found themselves stuck a game out, with their already poor percentage battered even further; and although the Kangaroos remain a mathematical chance to make the finals with four rounds to go, their chances are fast fading. And with a performance like they showed in this match, even if they were to somehow scrape into the finals, it’s hard to see how they would be anything other than making up the numbers.Western Bulldogs 6.2 9.3 13.7 22.11 (143)North Melbourne 3.3 6.6 8.8 10.12 (72)Goals : Bulldogs – B Hall 7, D Giansiracusa 5, R Griffen 3, S Higgins, C Johnson, J Grant, E Wood, L Jones, B Moles. North Melbourne – B Harvey 3, S Wright 2, L Adams 2, H McIntosh, L Hansen, A Edwards.Best : Bulldogs – M Boyd, B Lake, D Cross, B Hall, D Giansiracusa, L Gilbee. North Melbourne – S Wright, B Harvey, B Rawlings, A Swallow, L Greenwood, L Adams.Injuries : Bulldogs – J Harbrow (virus) replaced in selected side by A Everitt, R Griffen (concussion). North Melbourne – M Campbell (calf) replaced in selected side by R Bastinac.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Rosebury, Nicholls, Wenn.Crowd - 28,038 at Docklands.

For the seventh time in a row, Fremantle took the honours in the Western derby when the Dockers dominated from start to finish to defeat an insipid West Coast by 75 points at Subiaco on Sunday evening.Needing a win to ensure they would participate in the finals for just the third time in their 16-season history, the Dockers wasted no time ensuring victory and eliminating the prospect of an upset result. With seven unanswered goals in the first term, the Dockers raced to a 45-point lead at the first change. Dominating around the ground, the Dockers left the Eagles in their wake.Despite Chris Tarrant departing the ground late in the first term with a knee injury, the Eagles continued their dominant performance, extending their lead at every quarter. It was an even performance, with 11 Docker players getting on the scoreboard. Hayden Ballantyne was the star up forward with six goals, while Matthew Pavlich contributed four. Greg Broughton and Nathan Fyfe, with 31 possessions apiece, were constantly getting first use of the football to create more and more chances for the rampant Dockers.The Eagles, badly beaten as they have been for so much of the season, had few highlights. Mark LeCras managed five goals from limited chances, but the Eagles were flat and barely up to standard all afternoon, further underlining their wooden spoon status.Aaron Sandilands, with 22 possessions and 33 hit-outs, won the Ross Glendinning Medal for best on ground in the derby; completing a day of complete dominance for the Dockers, a game in which Fremantle recorded their highest score and greatest winning margin ever in a WA derby.Fremantle 7.6 13.8 18.12 24.16 (160)West Coast 0.3 4.4 9.5 13.7 (85)Goals : Fremantle – H Ballantyne 6, M Pavlich 4, P Hasleby 3, M Johnson 2, J Bollenhagen 2, S Hill 2, R Hayden, D Mundy, N Suban, J van Berlo, J Crichton. West Coast – M LeCras 5, A Strijk 2, M Rosa 2, A Selwood, N Naitanui, A Embley, B Waters.Best : Fremantle – G Broughton, H Ballantyne, P Haselby, N Fyfe, M Pavlich, A Sandilands. West Coast – B Waters, M Priddis, M Rosa, A Embley, T Swift, M LeCras.Injuries : Fremantle – C Tarrant (knee). West Coast – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Margetts, McInerney, Keating.Crowd - 40,451 at Subiaco Oval.